France stayed mum on giving military aid to armed Syrian rebels after President François Hollande met the leaders of the rebel Syrian National Coalition (SNC) and the Free Syrian Army (FSA).




Hollande again declared France’s “political and humanitarian” support for the SNC after meeting its new leader Ahmad Jarba and FSA chief General Selim Idriss at the French president Elysée Palace on Wednesday.

He called for “humanitarian corridors” to help civilians flee the fighting between the rebels and forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, a plan that is expected to come up against Russian opposition if it is taken to the UN.

But, although diplomats said that the rebels raised the question of arms supplies during the meeting, Hollande declared that “military pressure” was “the responsibility of the coalition and its army”, indicating that Paris will not arm them for the moment, at least.

Neither Hollande, Jarba nor Idriss commented on the matter at the press conference after the meeting.

The Syrian rebels, who are suffering internal divisions, have received arms from Saudi Arabia and Qatar but reports indicate that many of the weapons have ended up in the hands of Islamist groups, raising fears that they could be used against Western interests in the future.

By RFI

 

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